Sylvania Township trustees award contract to build fire station to Fremont company

Demolition of the old firehouse is scheduled for March. 18. The new fire house has a target completion date of Nov. 1. THE BLADE Enlarge | Buy This Photo

Mosser Construction of Fremont was awarded the contract to build the new fire station at the Sylvania Township Board of Trustee’s meeting tonight.

Trustee’s voted 2-1 to approve the chosen construction company to build the new fire station No. 1 on Monroe Street, the last of the four fire station construction projects the Township has implemented in the past years.

Mosser Construction’s bid for general construction costs was $1,965,000.

A total of seven bids were received by the administration last week, however, Mosser Construction was the lowest. 

Township Administrator John Zeitler assured the trustees that he will be conservative with township spending, but will ensure the construction of a sound building that will last for decades.

“I will work with our team to make sure only the necessary expenses occur in building this station, but I will not sacrifice something in the construction that will come back in five or 10 years and cost us more money to repair or replace at that time,” Mr. Zeitler said.

Mr. Zeitler, Joseph Vetter, president of the Toledo-based Vetter Design Group which engineered the designs for the new station,and Township Fire Chief Jeffrey Kowalski will work together to ensure the construction moves along successfully.

Mr. Zeitler emphasized that construction of Fire Station No. 1 will not dip into the general fund.

Trustee Kevin Haddad expressed his concern with contingency costs and other additional construction costs or materials that were not included in the general construction cost. However, Mr. Zeitler said that if overages did occur there were funds available. 

The administration has just over $2 million dedicated to the new station, that was derived from bonds issued in 2009. However, there is $200,000 of contingency money that was initially dedicated to a new land purchase. Since the station will be built at the old station’s current site, the money will be used only if needed, Mr. Zeitler said.

Mr. Zeitler said he does not see a need to use a portion of the funds accrued from the annual $1.5 mill levy passed in 2008 that is designated to cover the Fire Department’s operational and construction expenses.

Demolition of the old firehouse is scheduled for March. 18. The new fire house has a target completion date of Nov. 1.

Trustee Kevin Haddad, who has been opposed to building the station in its current location, voted against the resolution.

Contact Natalie Trusso Cafarello at: ntrusso@theblade.com or 419-206-0356.